Aston Villa reach major £30m transfer agreement as Juventus make big call on Emi Martinez
Juventus have pulled out of their proposed move for Emiliano Martinez, with Aston Villa now pushing ahead with their deal to sign Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and with the Bianconeri now turning their attention to another Premier League star, TEAMtalk can confirm.
Sources can reveal that Suzuki has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract and Villa have reached an agreement with Parma over a package worth €35million (£30m, $41m) – the same deal that European champions Paris Saint-Germain had agreed before pulling out of the move on Saturday.
Suzuki was originally due to join Juventus on loan after PSG completed his signing, but that plan collapsed, prompting Villa to move quickly to take advantage of the situation.
The 23-year-old is now set to become Villa’s new number one, although, remarkably, that could yet happen with Martinez still at the club.
Juventus had revived their interest in Martinez on Sunday and made a fresh offer worth around €10million (£8.6m, $11.7m) for the 33-year-old.
A deal appeared close during the early stages of negotiations, but TEAMtalk can confirm that the Bianconeri have now pulled back from the move as talks progressed.
But with Villa unwilling to take any chances over being left without a first-choice goalkeeper, Unai Emery and Co have decided to move ahead with a deal for Suzuki and are now working towards completing the transfer despite the uncertainty surrounding Martinez.
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Suzuki says yes to Aston Villa move
Suzuki is understood to be happy with the move to Villa Park, and the opportunity to play Champions League football has proved a major attraction and formed a significant factor in his decision to agree the move.
A sizeable contract through to summer 2031 will also have played a part in persuading him to make the move to Birmingham.
Juventus, meanwhile, have quickly turned their attention to another Premier League goalkeeper after the trail for Martinez went cold.
And sources understand they have opened fresh talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a loan deal for Guglielmo Vicario.
Vicario had previously held discussions with Torino, but that move has now fallen away after Torino reached an agreement with Leeds United goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
Sources understand that Perri has rejected the chance to join Marseille, and is now set to move to Turin instead.
The goalkeeper market has therefore shifted rapidly, with Martinez’s move to Juventus now off while Villa and Parma work towards completing Suzuki’s transfer and Juventus explore a loan deal for Vicario.
Villa, meanwhile, continue their battle to retain Ezri Konsa’s services as Arsenal step up their chase to sign the England defender.
As we revealed last week, though, the Gunners do have a Plan B in mind should Villa continue to demand a big fee for the versatile star.
